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Parents

There is always a moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.

- Graham Green

There is no stronger love in the world than the love of a parent for their child. One of the hardest, most bittersweet things a parent will ever do is wave goodbye as their child goes off to college.

Many advisors at UH Hilo are parents too. We value the role you have entrusted in us with providing the support, guidance and mentoring needed for your son or daughter to succeed in college. The completion of their degrees will open them up to a world of possibilities. A strong, supportive advising component lays the foundation for all successes to come.

Parent FAQs

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1.

Can my son or daughter graduate in 4 years?

We believe so.

Many things can factor into a student’s ability to graduate in 4 years. Some of these factors may include placement into certain required classes as well as completion of prerequisite courses necessary for certain majors.

Good advising can provide an understanding of the unique situation of each student and articulate the steps and commitment required to graduate in four years. Good advising is important to us and we strongly embrace the key role it plays in helping your son or daughter reach their goals -- the ultimate being graduation.

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2.

Is it a bad thing if my son or daughter does not have a major?

Not necessarily. While there are certain benefits to knowing exactly what you want to do at UH Hilo, there are also many instances of students choosing a major without without fully understanding what the major can offer them.

Every student holds a unique set of possibilities. Yet as a young person, the pressure to know exactly what you want to do for the rest of your life can be daunting. We do know that there are certain benefits to exploring different majors. Sooner rather than later however, it is best to choose a major to create a pathway of purpose – one that allows the student to feel connected to their UH Hilo journey, and for that journey to be connected to their lives after graduation.

Advisors at the Advising Center specialize in helping undeclared students find a major and/or career pathway in addition to assisting current students with declared majors who may be thinking of a major change.

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3.

What is a Freshman Guaranteed Schedule?

UH Hilo strives to increase the number of students who graduate in four years.

The coursework a new freshman takes in the first year of college greatly impacts this goal. To help maximize student success, UH Hilo launched a new initiative in Fall 2011 called the Freshmen Guaranteed Academic Schedule. All new first-time, full-time freshmen will be assigned 12 credit hours of predetermined academic courses for the Fall semester of their first year at UH Hilo based on the student's declared major. The semester's schedule will be designed to help give freshmen the best "running start" they need to receive their baccalaureate degree in four years.

The best advice you can offer your son or daughter is to act sooner rather than later. For many different reasons, students often wait until late in the semester to address things they should have done earlier. College life and the courses they are taking can pose many different challenges that even the best high school students can find unavoidable.

Some students may feel embarrassed to ask for help. Others may have the firm belief that they just might pull off a good grade if they only spend more time studying. That may be true, but oftentimes there are other factors contributing to low performance. To address these factors, we offer several different academic support programs on campus (see below).

Meeting with an adviser may also be a good first step. Again, acting sooner rather than later, is always the best approach to take when the road begins to get a bit bumpy.

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5.

Are there any tutoring or other academic support services available?

There are many tutoring and support services available for our students. best of all, they are free to use.